The Air Force Was Officially Born 67 Years Ago Today

A U.S.
Air Force B-52 Stratofortress from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb
Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., leads a
formationU.S.
Air Force

The US Air Force celebrates its official birthday on September
18. Created by the National Security Act after World War II, the
Air Force is turning 67 years old today.

Originally, the Air Force functioned as a subservient branch of
the military operating under the supervision of the US Army.
Between the US military's first purchase of an aircraft in 1909
and up until 1947, the military's air component operated under a
number of various forms, and was ultimately designated as
the United States Army Air Forces in 1941.

In the decades before the Air Force's founding, the US Army was
in charge of aerial operations, including during both World Wars.
Due to the ever-evolving nature of war, and the increased
importance of air power, the establishment of a separate and
independent US Air Force soon came under consideration.

And by the end of World War II, it became apparent to military
and civilian officials that air power would play a decisive role
in future conflicts — and that a reorganization of the military's
structure was necessary.

In 1947, President Harry Truman
signed the National Security Act. This bill officially
established a single Department of Defense with representation of
Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. From
this development, the US Air Force was established as an
independent branch that was equal to both the Army and
Navy.

Since its establishment, the Air Force has played critical roles
both in US military operations and in technological innovation.
Air Force pilots scored
impressive victories against MiG-15s during the Korean War, while
in the 1960s the development and deployment of Intercontinental
Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), the backbone of the American nuclear
deterrent during the Cold War, was taken up by the Air
Force.

Currently, the US Air Force is
engaged in carrying out air strikes against ISIS in
Iraq.